In 2003, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) instituted an asset tracking program in order to track DoD property under the control of external contractors.  This arose amidst claims of of contractors misappropriating assets, employing wasteful practices and generally charging exorbitant sums for work which should not have been charged.  Some readers may recall the issues associated with $200 hammers or thousand dollar toilet seats which plagued NASA, and in the realm of defense spending, there were many instances of inappropriate billing by contractors which was met by the extremely large budget of the Dod and ultimately, the taxpayer was footing the bill.

The Unique Identification program (UID) ensures that government property and assets are all marked by a special asset tag – the individual asset is allocated an Individual UID (known as the IUID – the military are renowned for their use of acronyms) and this in turn produces a Unique Identification Identifier (UII).  All equipment delivered to the DoD by an external supplier must bear a UII which comes in the form of a 2D matrix (a barcode), and this in turn feeds into the billing program of the external contractor which must be managed and presented in a format which meets DoD standards.

With the “War on Terror” commencing in 2003, the DoD is taking delivery of equipment throughout the sphere of operations as well as its main logistics deployment establishment established in Richmond, VA.  There are numerous problems associated with ensuring that equipment is delivered and gets to where it is needed most, especially for those operations involving combat and security duty in high risk areas such as Afghanistan.  At the same time, while the focus is on combat and operational effectiveness, it is very difficult to effectively manage equipment and supplies which are delivered direct into the sphere of operations by external contractors.  When you are getting shot at, you are less likely to be concerned with accounting for equipment!

The UII tags remove the need for such intensive management by personnel in the field, and simplifies the entire tracking and inventory management process.  The program has already resulted in savings worth several billions of dollars in the 6 years which it has been in operation, and has also been used as the  basis for billing adjustments with external contractors who otherwise would have billed for equipment and supplies not delivered as well as reversing overcharges.

One application of the UID program has seen enormous savings in the area of containerization.  The  DoD is the largest customer for cargo containers in the Middle East area with enormous amounts of cargo being transported and stored at a variety of ports and externally managed supply centers prior to onward transportation to the “front”.  Cargo containers are extremely expensive pieces of kit, and they are not in fact owned by the DoD – the containerization system relies upon them being leased or rented (typically for a $2,000 per week).  These containers are spread around a huge geographical area, greater than the size of the U.S., and in a large number of disparate locations.  It is vital to track them and establish which are in use and which aren’t being used – by ensuring that idle use is minimized, and advising the owner of non-use, significant savings have been incurred by not paying for containers which are in fact, sitting idle in the owners depot or are still on the lease book but in fact, are not being employed.

Posted by M. Trumper

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Not sure what type of asset tag you should order? Watch our video to learn more about asset tags and MaverickLabel.com, the leader in quality and customer service for all your label needs, including asset tags.

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Asset labels, asset tags, property id tags, identification labels and many other terms are all simply synonyms – they refer to the same item, frequently referred to as an “asset tag”.

Asset Tags for Asset Management

A modern, well-designed and manufactured asset tag will typically have a semi-permanent adhesive backing and usually, a metal overlaid plate upon which the reference information is added.  The adhesive can be permanent but this creates issues when you need to sell the asset on – using a semi-permanent adhesive makes it very difficult to remove the tag by any but the most determined thief, and yet, with the proper tools the tag can be removed and the item restored to its original condition and ready for sale.

Asset tags can be used in a variety of situations, including commercial, government and personal requirements.  The diversity of asset tag types provides for a wide range of applications including indoors and out in harsh weather conditions – the U.S. military use asset tags widely to track assets around the world and in operational theatres, so if an asset tag can perform its role under combat conditions, it certainly will be able to perform its function with you.

Asset tags can be used to identify an individual cell phone through to a Jumbo Jet and a lot more besides.  NASA makes extensive use of asset tags in the assembly of rocket and Shuttle vehicles in order to achieve the safety parameters they require.  At the same time, asset tag systems are integrated into accounting and management systems in order to control who has possession of, and where, assets are located.  Asset tags do much more than simply provide a layer of security in the event of loss or theft – they provide an effective tool to implement stock control and tracking systems which in turn, can use the data provided to ensure sales revenues are maximized.

Technology is moving at an ever faster pace and the days of the simple, sticky label are now falling behind us with state of the art radio-tracking being employed which links in with global satellite positioning.  It is now possible to track an item as it travels around the world and to know where it is at by simply clicking your mouse button.  Barcode technology has also moved forward and the hologram continues to evolve into a very secure demonstration of product integrity and identification.

All this technology means that asset tags can provide much more than simply who owns an item.  Now an asset tag will carry vital information which can tell the reader not only what the asset is, but valuable information regarding maintenance and care, ingredients used in manufacture, use-by or sell-by information, health hazard data and handling instructions, and much, much more.

While there are many diverse applications for asset tags, they are relatively very cheap which has made them even more popular.  Simple asset tags can be sourced for minimal cost using the internet as there are literally thousands of providers of this ubiquitous sticky label.

Mark Trumper

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It seems more and more families and loved ones are living farther apart. As you get ready for the holidays, remember that many will need to ship their Christmas or Hanukah packages to the U.S.A. and beyond. It is critical to have the best tracking labels on your packages.

A tracking label is like that present’s own GPS system: keeping it safe as it travels around the globe. From Florida to Texas to Maine to England and beyond! Your package is as connected to you as if it were right in your own back stockroom, ready to hand to a customer if they were in front of you. That tracking information lets both you and the customer know exactly where that special holiday present is at all times. As it travels from your store across the states or even across the ocean – it is safe and secure. Best of all, this tracking label offers your customers great peace of mind, as asset tags tend to do.

Holiday shoppers want to be sure of two things as they shop this season: that they choose the right gift for each recipient and that the gifts reach each person properly. We know we can depend on your sensitivity and skill to assist them in finding the best gifts for their loved ones this holiday season. Let your tracking labels keep their carefully chosen gifts under watchful gaze until delivery.

Adding a tracking label to your packages simply makes good business sense. It shows that you care about your products and their safe and secure arrival. Just by seeing a tracking label on a package can make customers feel more relieved in choosing you. They know that you don’t take chances. You are practical and wise. There is no worry of Christmas or Hanukah gifts being jostled during shipping and precious treasures arriving in pieces. Your store and employees are likely the type who take extra care with packages – if you take the time to add a tracking label – then you are the type of store that takes extra care with other factors that concern shipping.

From the granddaughter shipping a figurine to her grandmother far away to an adult sister sending gourmet treats to the sister and family she won’t see during the holidays, that tracking number offers extra protection. Even the customers who don’t completely understand the value of a tracking number will greatly appreciate its service during the holiday season. As a retail store owner you know that the holiday time is the busiest time for deliveries. The mail and other delivery services will be extended often pushing their limits as far as they can go. That tracking number can keep that carefully picked out figurine for Grandma from being rerouted to the wrong state, wrong city or simply the wrong street. The time you take to add that label can mean the difference between the holiday package making it in time for the holidays…..or not.

Most of us are lucky today, whether we realize it or not. We truly have the majority of the material goods we “need” and many of the ones that we just plain “want.” But during Christmas or Hanukah time, getting and giving gifts goes much deeper than the actual present. It all comes down to love. Love for the recipient and the gift giver and expressing that love during holiday time. Missing that opportunity to celebrate your holiday of faith by expressing love for someone special in your love can be a great disappointment. Just ask anyone who has had a gift they’ve ordered arrive late or go missing. They seem to be more upset about it than the actual gift recipient. It’s the love that is speaking through them. Needless to say, that small tracking label just doesn’t seem so small anymore.

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You can find the Flexible Anodized Aluminum Foil Asset Tags for ordering at http://www.MaverickLabel.com. MaverickLabel.com also features hundreds of other label products for all of your custom labeling needs.

Give MaverickLabel.com a call (800) 537-8816 (Toll Free from USA & Canada) today.

Full Flexible Anodized Aluminum Foil Asset Tag description:
3-mil Flexible Anodized Aluminum Foil * Tough Flexible Anodized Aluminum perfect for asset labels and tags that need to be adhered on a curved surface. The colors and graphics are etched permanently into the surface of the material. This highly durable product means labels can be used indoors or outdoors. This is the material we recommend if your labels will be exposed to direct sunlight, salt spray, high temperatures, cleaning solvents, or continuous abrasion. Made specifically for these conditions, it will not crack, chip, or peel over its useful life. *Barcode /Serial number are imbedded in anodized layer for 20 Year outdoor durability.

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Tagging any item of property is a deterrent against theft because most thefts are opportunistic in nature.  Thefts occur in large measure because the opportunity presents itself and there is a quick, mental calculation as to whether the perpetrator will actually be able to get away with committing the crime.

There are numerous elements to deterrence achieved by tagging your property, no matter whether it is your personal property or commercial assets.

A primary deterrence element which comes from tagging your property is the visible deterrence.  By using a tag to identify your property, you are making a statement of ownership but more than this, that you have taken time to protect your property.  This demonstrates a motivated owner, someone who is likely to have established further protections for their property and most importantly, someone who you would not want to steal from!  In the mind of a thief, it is better and easier to steal from someone who simply is not overly concerned about identifying and protecting their property compared to someone who is!

There is another crucial and visible deterrence factor in providing readily visible identification tags or labeling: the thief must be able to remove all traces of your ownership in order to be able to reduce the risk associated with their criminal act.  If there is an identification tag attached to your possession, then the thief is going to find it that much harder to openly use the item, or sell it on to someone else simply because it carries your sign of ownership.  This reduces the potential reward from the theft and increases the risk of detection for the criminal – both of which will figure largely in the mind of any thief looking for something to steal.

There is another aspect to tagging your possessions – instead of tagging them with the usual, “This item belongs to me!” style tag, instead use a tag which advises that you employ radio tracking of your asset!  The idea that a laptop, a bicycle, a car or even a boat are protected by radio tracking may or may not be true, but the point is that the prospective crook is not going to know this.  If you are confronted with the option of walking away with a laptop and never being caught or identified, or stealing a laptop and it is guaranteed you will be located within hours – which would you choose as your intended target?

There is an ultimate deterrence to theft and that is getting caught – either getting caught in the act or at any time after the deed has been committed.  In the minds of most thieves, their intention is that the item stolen will never be able to be tracked after the crime has been committed.  If the item is capable of being identified and tracked after the theft, then that opens the question up to whether they, the thief, can be tracked by their association with the item.  Labeling your possessions acts not only as a visible deterrence to theft, one which is immediate and likely to ensure someone else’s property is targeted before your own, but also a long-lasting deterrence should you be unfortunate enough to be the victim of a theft.

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